Pacific Leprosy Foundation

We are delighted to announce that the Pacific Leprosy Foundation has won the international Dr Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for an outstanding contribution to public health. Read the story here.

Leprosy continues to be a challenge in most developing countries, contributing significantly to the physical and social disability of people afflicted. It remains a serious social and medical problem in the Pacific and New Zealand and it is here that the Pacific Leprosy Foundation works to eliminate and mitigate the effects of this disease.

Who we are The Pacific Leprosy Foundation is a national, charitable organisation working within New Zealand and the South Pacific region. The Foundation is non-denominational and registered under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957and under the Charities Act 2005 - registration number CC26987.

Our Mission

“The eradication of leprosy and the continued care of patients and their families with disability, or social and economic disadvantage due to leprosy in New Zealand and the Pacific.”

What we do

Leprosy control & surveillance The use of multi-drug therapy has had a dramatic impact in the control of leprosy. However, residual pockets of leprosy remain and new cases continue to surface and will do so for many years yet. With many health workers being removed from leprosy programmes to work with TB and other communicable diseases, there is a real danger leprosy will increase in the same way that TB has.

We work to support and train health workers and provide them with the necessary resources to diagnose and treat leprosy.

Rehabilitation and welfare People suffering from and disabled by leprosy and their families are a low priority for governments with limited resources and the Pacific Leprosy Foundation funds rehabilitation and welfare work throughout the Pacific.

Funds are provided for surgical and medical treatment. Also, the protection of anaesthetic hands and feet is essential to avoid further injury.

The self-esteem of people affected by leprosy can be rebuilt by encouraging them to provide for themselves and their families. Funds are provided for income generating projects such as livestock improvement, growing crops and making crafts to be sold in the markets.

The Foundation also provides funds for housing, housing improvements and the education of the children of leprosy sufferers.

Our work is to provide funding to treat leprosy sufferers and to improve their self-worth and self-reliance.